taylor



(N0 MOdel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W; H. TAYLOR 8u E. STOCKWELL.4

GRAIN METER.

No. 339,824. Patented Apr. 13, 1886.

P l l l I I Ix (No Modelv.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. H. TAYLOR 8u E. STOGKWELL.

GRAIN METER.

Ptented Apr. lfg.

F CL.

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N. ruins Pnmwmnngnmr, wmangmn. nA a UNITED STATES PATENT OFrrcE.

VARREN H. TAYLOR AND EMORY STOOKVELL, OF S'IAMFORD, CONN.

GRAIN-METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,824, dated April 13, 1886.

Application filed February 526, 1885. Serial No. 157,143. (Nomodcl.)

To @ZZ whom nto/ 7j con/cern,.-

Be it known that We, WARREN H. TAYLOR and EMOEY STOCK \\'"EL'r.,citizens of the United States, and residents of Stamford, in the coun ty of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have `jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Meters, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates especially to devices employed in mills, &c., for the purpose of automatically measuring grain while passing from one bin to another or to the grindingl hopper, and has for its object the provision ol' a meter wherein means are employed for regulating the flow of grain into the measuringreceptaclc in such a manner as to obviate danger of choking or clogging while performing the work of measuring in au accurate manner.

To attain the desired end our invention consists, essentially, in a suitable frame whereon is located a feedhopper provided at bottom with a valve or valves for regulating or stopping the iiow of grain. Beneath said hopper the measuring-receptable is placed and supported upon knife-edged hearings within a frame, the bottoms of the measuring-receptacle being provided with a doubleleafed valve for closing the outlet. Beneath the measuringreceptacle is a bottom hopper, wherein a pair of leaves or a single leaf is placed, said leaf or leaves serving to operate the valves at the bottom of the feeding-hopper; and ourinvention also involvescertain other novel and useful combinations or arrangements of parts and peculiarities of construction and operation, all of which will be hereinafter first fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a vertical section, of our improved meter. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the feed-hopper, and Fig. 4 is a vertical central section thereof. Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of a similar hopper wherewith a single-bottom valve is employed, and Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Figs. 7

and 8 illustrate a modified form of feed-hopper and Valve. Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of the lower hopper and the leaves located therein.

Like letters of reference, wherever they occur, indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A is the main frame of the meter, and B is the feed-hopper supported at the top thereof. This hopper is preferably made double, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and et, and is provided with valve -blades C, pivoted at each side thereof and arranged to close the bottom, as illustrated by the dotted lines in said figures. Each valve'leaf is provided with a crank, D, engaging with the slotted cross-head E of a vertical rod or bar, F, passing to the bottom of the device, as plainly shown in Figs. l and 2.

H are pins passing through slots in said bar, permitting an easy upward and downward movement.

It will be observed that the extremity of each valve-leaf C has a turned edge or up wardly-projecting lip, c. As the leaf is raised this lip will stop the flow of grain into the weighing-receptacle before the leaf is entirely closed against its seat, and the lodgment of grain between the leaf and its seat will not prevent the stoppage of the flow.

I is a double weighing or measuring receptacle supported upon knife-edges J within a frame, K, said frame being pivoted at L and bearing a balanci11g-\veight, M. The movement of the frame is regulated by the stops a upon the main frame.

t' are glass plates let into the walls of the weighing-receptacle, for convenience iu viewing the interior thereof.

The receptacle I is divided by a partition, N, whereover is located a movable plate, n, for directing the flow of grain into the properside olf the receptacle.

At the bottom of each part of the receptacle I is located a leaf of the double valve P, said leaves being so arranged that when one of the valves is closed the other will be open.

G is a cross-bar or double crank atlxed to the shaft of the valve-leaves I), and Rare rods extending to a similar crossbar upon the shaft of deecting-plate n. A notched segment, W, affixed to the shaft of valve-leaves I?, engages with a catch, w, and holds the valve of the filled receptacle closed until the catch strikes a fixed stop, Y, when the segment is disengaged and the Weight of the grain opens the valve of the filled receptacle, throwing the segment over and locking the Valve in such a manner as to close the bottom of the empty receptacle.

S is the lower hopper, located beneath the receptacle I, the grain passing into said hopper therefrom. Within this hoppor are located leaves T, a crank, U, upon the shaft of each leaf', engaging with a toe, U, at the side of bar F.

When constructed and arranged in accordance with the foregoing description, the operation of our improved meter is as followsz' The parts of the device being in the position shown in Fig. 2, grain is admitted to the hopper B, passing therefrom to the receptacle at the left of the figureuntil the predetermined amount has been admitted, when the weight thereof overcomes the counter-weight M, permitting the receptacle to descend. This movement disengages the catch from the segment, and the weight of the grain opens the valveat the bottom of the filled receptacle, throwing up the opposite leaf of the valve, and the re turn upward movement of the receptacle locks the valve in place. As the grain falls upon leaf within the lower hopper, S, the bar F 1s ra1sed,v as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, partially or entirely closing the valves at the bottom of hopper B. "When the weight of the grain in hopper S diminishes, said valves are opened, permitting the weighing-receptacle to till, as beforel explained. By this construction admission of grain is automatically controlled, and it can pass. through the meter only so fast as it is permitted to escape from hopper S, obviatiug all danger of choking or clogging either the meter or the mill or passagefto which the grain is conveyed.

We employ the two valve-blades@ at the bottom of hopper B, for the reason that they close much more easily than would a single blade, and the ow of grain may be deflected to the right or left, as required, permitting the use of the double receptacle, said valves, together with plate n, forming the passage for grain, as particularly illustrated in Fig. 2.

It will be observed that the hopper B has a central ^shaped division, the lips c upon blades C passing therebeneath when closed upward, an arrangement which greatly facilitates the operation ofthe valves.

The two independent blades T in the re eeptacle S control the 'flow of grain from l1op per B into the weighing-receptacles, as when the grain falls from the bottom of either of said receptacles and strikes the blade therebeneath it will be depressed, as indicated by the dotted lines, Figs. 2 and 9, elevating the bar F, closing both valves at the bottom hopper, B, until the grain has passed from blade T, when the weight of the said bar F will raise blade T to its former position, opening the valves at the bottom of hopper B. By this construction, if the grain is carried slowly from receptacle S, the operation of the weighing device will be retarded to conform to .the capacity of the receptacle to which the grain ilows fromthe meter, and the entire device is rendered perfectly automatic in its operation.

The peculiar construction of the weighing receptacle and the device for locking the valves at the bottom thereof will be the subject of future applications for Letters Patent.

In the modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the feed-hopper B is provided with a bottom, b, and side openings, c. d is a second hopper, located beneath B and open at bottom. e is a movable bottomless hopper placed vbetween hoppers B and d, said movable hopper being connected with bar F. `In cutting off the'tlow of grain the raising of said bar elevates hopper e, closing the openings e in the same manner and for the same purpose above described in connection with valves C.

Having now fully described our invention, what we claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. 'In a grain-meter, a feeding-hopper provided with a regulating valve or valves, a measuring or weighing receptacle supported therebeneath in a balanced frame, said receptacle being provided at bottom with a valve or valves, as set forth, and a receiving-hopper located beneath the receptacle aforesaid, said receiver containing leaves adapted andarranged to regulate the flow of grain into the weighing-receptacle, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of 'the fixed feed-hopper with the double valve, adapted and arranged to be automatically operated by the weight of the grain passing through the hopper beneath the weighing receptacle, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a grain-meter of the character herein specified, the combination, with a feed hopper provided with two valves, as set forth, of a receiving-hopper at-the bottom of the meten ICO 5. The combination, with vertical bar F,of I

the valve-leaves C, located at the bottom of the feed-hopper, and the'regulating-leaves T, the whole arranged substantially as shown and described.

In testimony thatwe claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two witnesses.

WARREN H. TAYLOR.

. EMORY STOCKVELL.

Vitnesses:

EUGENE N. ELIoT, A. M. PIERCE. 

